1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a panoramic photography system, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for taking a panoramic photograph without the need to set the order in which panoramic images are taken.
2. Discussion of the Background
Panoramic photography refers to photography dedicated to taking pictures that are longer than common pictures, either in the horizontal or vertical direction, to contain more landscapes within a single photo. Typically, panoramic photography is used to stitch a sequence of pictures horizontally or vertically together into a single panoramic picture.
Panoramic photography also requires adjacent images to precisely match up because successive images are taken in different directions. One method for smoothly connecting adjacent photos together has been presented in Korean Patent No. 10-0630007. The method includes marking a portion of one photo and adjusting the position of the next photo so that it is located to fit with the marked portion.
However, the conventional panoramic photography method has a drawback in that a series of photos may need to be taken in a preset direction to create a panoramic scene. That is, in the conventional panoramic photography method, a user may need to determine the order in which photos are taken and preset the order into a photography apparatus before taking a panoramic photograph. Hence, after taking a first photo, the photography apparatus may take only the succeeding photo containing a scene located at a position determined according to the preset order.
As described above, the conventional panoramic photography method may require a user to preset the photographing order whenever a panoramic photograph is to be taken, and thus may be inconvenient for the user. The conventional method has another drawback in that photographs may have to be taken in the preset order. Thus, there is a need for a simpler and easier method of taking a panoramic photograph.